Fume-condensing apparatus.



G. G. RICHARDS.

FUMB (JONDENSING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 23, 1910.

990,009. Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

ZQa

used, and which apparatus may readily and GEORGE C. RICHARDS, 0FBERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

FUME-CONDENSING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 23, 1910. Serial No. 562,916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. RICHARDS, citizen of the United States,residing at Berkeley, in the county of Alameda and State of California,have invented new and useful Improvements in Fume-Condensing Apparatus,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fume condensing apparatus, and particularly toinduceddraft, hydraulic condensers for use in conjunction with smelters,garbage crcmatories, and the like.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of peculiararrangement and design whereby a more efficient condensation of fumesarising from the smelting of ores or the reduction of or anic matter isobtained, and also to provice an apparatus which shall be economical inwater consumption but which will have novel means for coolingandcleansing or aerating the water quickly be cleared of de osits accumuin the several parts of t 'e condenser.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and.combinationof parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, havingreference to the accompanying drawings, in which tmg Figure 1 is a planvlew of the apparatus Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of thecondenser.

It is desirable to condense the obnoxious fumes and gases producedduring smelting and other reducing processes before they escape into theatmosphere, so as to remove as far as possible the deleterioussubstances, and I have found that by subjecting the volatile productsand smoke, as they leave a furnace, to the action first of a jet ofwater, and then to a chilling blast of air directed more or less atanangle to the How of the water jet and gas, practically all ofthedestructive or obnoxious fumes are condensed, the values recovered,and the water cooled and aerated and rendered capable of re-useindefinitely.

In the resent embodiment of my invention the umes from the furnace A,which latter may be of any variety, are drawn into a substantiallyglobular head 2 having a contracted orifice or discharge throat 3 formedby the abutting, oppositely flared, hollow cones 45; cone 5 being a partof head 2, and the cone 4 bolted to it. The throat 3 is preferablylocated approximately at right angles to the inlet 2 of the head 2.Axially 1n line with the discharge 3, and terminating practically in thecenter of the head 2, is a horizontally disposed nozzle 6 passingthrough the head and connecting by pipe 6' with a suitable pump 7,whereby water is forced out of nozzle 6 in a stream or jet whichdiverges and substantially fills the throat 3. I

Secured to cone 4 is an expanded cylinder or section 8 into which thestream from the nozzle flows and forces the uncondensed smoke, fumes andgases drawn from the furnace; the jet from nozzle 6 inducin a powerfuldraft through the furnace to efiect proper combustion. From section 8the water and uncondensed and unprecipitated gases and matter which itcarries are delivered into a condensing section or globular chamber 9having a contracted discharge throat 10 which is set more or less at anangle to the middle cylinder 8, anddischarges into a tank or reservoir11.

In addition to the condensing action on the uses and fumes by contactwith and partlal absorption by the cool liquid jet from nozzle 6, theyare chilled and mixed with a blast of air from a horizontally dis-.

posed nozzle 12 which is connected to an appropriate blower 13; thenozzle 12 being arranged to discharge in line with the throat 10.

The effect of the angular disposition of the sections 4289--10 is toconstantly break the direction of flowof the fumes so that no continuousstrata are created; but on the contrary, innumerable eddies are causedwhich interrupt the continuity of flow and permit an intimatecommingling of the fumes, first with the water jet from nozzle 6, andlater with the diverting chilling air blast from nozzle 12.

The spray from nozzle 6 induces a powerful draft of the gases from thefurnace A, these gases becoming partially condensed in the chambers 29.The resulting precipitate, in the form, usually, of a sticky tarry mass,may be removed at intervals through tap holes in the bottom of thechambers 29, which holes are normally closed by doors 15 operated eachby a suitable lever 16. The lever is so fulcrumed, at 17, andcounterweighted, that the door will automatically Patented Apr. 18,1911. a

close when the lever is free, and remain closed under all ordinaryconditions, except for the undue accumulation of deposits in the chamberon top of the trap-door.

In addition to the counterweight of the handles of levers l6 tending tomaintain the doors closed, the suction created by the jet actions in theapparatus also assist in maintaining the doors normally closed. Whilethey may be opened by hand, they are enabled, by the construction shown,to open, discharge and close automatically.

The vacuum-creating effect of the air blast from nozzle 12 assistsmaterially in the force of the induced draft through the apparatus; butthe main beneficial effect of the air blast seems to. be due to thesudden expansion of the air as it leaves the nozzle 12 under highpressure, thereby becoming suddenly chilled and imparting its cold tothehot surrounding Water flow, insuring complete precipitation andcondensation. It also aerates the Water, so that after delivery into thetank the water is ready immediately for re-use.

While it is preferred to use air, for the reason stated above, steam hasbeen used successfully in lieu of the air blast from 12,

- and when used, only one-third the volume of water is required. Thechief objection to steam, aside from the fact that it requires water andheat to create it, is that it is found that the steam heats up the waterin tank 11, necessitating this water in the tank being cooled by othermeans.

In order to give access to the interior of the chambers 29 independentof the doors 15, manholes are provided which are normally closed byappropriate doors 18.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is- 1. The combination With a furnace having an outletfor smoke and fumes, of a chamber of greater diameter than said outletand connecting with the outlet, a hydraulic ejector in said chamber andinducing a draft through the outlet from the furnace, fluid connectionsbetween the chamber and a settling tank, said connections including asecond enlarged chamber and an intermediate pipe section, and an aireject-or in said second chamber between the hydraulic ejector and tankand operative to accelerate or assist in the induced draft and servingto cool the water as it enters the tank.

2. In a fume and gas condensing apparatus, the combination with afurnace, having an outlet, of a condenser having globular heads, anexpanded section coupling the heads, one of said heads being connectedwith the outlet of the furnace and having a greater diameter than saidoutlet, jet nozzles in each head disposed at right angles to each other,and means whereby a jet of water is discharged by one nozzle and a blastof air by the other.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE C. RICHARDS. Witnesses:

CHARLES EDELMAN,

S. P. LATHROP.

